Thursday, January 15, 2015

Tomorrow (Friday 16th Jan), Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) will start the second phase of the largest-ever mass distribution of antimalarials in Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone has the fifth highest prevalence of malaria in the world, and the disease is the biggest killer of children under five in the country. Malaria symptoms also mimic those of Ebola, so fighting the disease is a vital part of the ongoing emergency response in west Africa.

“Many more people will fall ill and potentially die from malaria than Ebola,” says Jonathan Caplan, MSF coordinator for the distribution. “If MSF can provide added support to reduce the burden of malaria on the healthcare system, this will not only save many lives but also allow for a more focused and effective Ebola response.”

The door-to-door distribution will go on for four days (January 16-19). Teams aim to deliver 1.8 million antimalarial treatments as part of a larger campaign, along with the Ministry of Health and UNICEF, to reach 2.5 million people in Sierra Leone.

The first round of distributing drugs to prevent malaria took place just over a month ago. The drug being distributed can be used both to prevent and treat the disease. Teams distributed 1.5 million antimalarial treatments to residents of Freetown and five districts in the surrounding Western Area over four days, with the aim of protecting people during Malaria’s peak season.